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Epic Games Store Mystery Games for June 5 Leaked: Deathloop and Ogu and the Secret ForestThe next free games for the June 5 giveaway in Epic Games Store Mega Sale 2025 may have leaked early, thanks to trusted insider billbil-kun. According to the reliable leaker,… The post Epic Games Store Mystery Games for June 5 Leaked: Deathloop and Ogu and the Secret Forest appeared first on TwistedVoxel .

Jun 5

The 2025 Summer Showcase Schedule<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/4c418622/sgf_2025.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="The 2025 Summer Showcase Schedule" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> With the sun out and the temperature rising, it must be summer. That means it's time to stay cool indoors and watch a litany of gaming showcases airing throughout the season. Spearheaded by Summer Game Fest, we've created a schedule listing every notable showcase occurring over the coming months, the date and times they air, and a summary of what they entail. Some are the usual suspects, while other organizations are hosting a showcase for the first time. Be sure to bookmark this page, as it will be updated regularly as new events are announced and airdates are confirmed. <h2 class="text-align-center">May 27</h2> May 27 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/a8c50873/tbc2025art.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>TinyBuild Connect</h4>Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ETHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@tinyBuildGAMES">YouTube</a>What It Is: Indie publisher tinyBuild's dedicated showcase is set to reveal new trailers, demos, and launch dates for several titles. Confirmed games to appear include Kingmakers, Hello Neighbor 3, SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed, and Of Ash and Steel. <h2 class="text-align-center">May 29</h2> May 29 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/16a048f7/thinky-direct-showcase.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Thinky Games Direct</h4>Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. PTHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thinkygames">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/thinkygames">Twitch</a>What It Is: As its name implies, Thinky Games is a website that features and promotes puzzle games of all shapes and sizes. It's first-ever Direct will do the same, featuring exclusive reveals, updates, and trailers for new puzzle games on the horizon.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/347e2cba/indie_quest_art.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Indie Quest </h4>Start Time: 4 p.m. PT/7 pm. ETHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheGamingShelf">YouTube</a>What It Is: If you're a JRPG fan, Indie Quest is the showcase for you. The debut event will host over 40 exclusive trailers for indie JRPGs (introduced by popular YouTube creators), including a tantalizing tease of a “must-see world premiere from a critically acclaimed studio." <h2 class="text-align-center">May 31</h2> May 31 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/29/59ffca82/horrorgameshowcase.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>The Horror Game Awards Summer Showcase</h4>Start Time: 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ETHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HorrorGameAwards">YouTube</a>What It Is: Founded in 2022, The Horror Game Awards celebrates the best games to scare your pants off, and its summer showcase provides a platform for upcoming scary titles, specifically from smaller/independent creators. <h2 class="text-align-center">June 3</h2> June 3 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/02/910fc2dd/stateofunreal2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>State of Unreal </h4>Start Time: 6:30 a.m. PT/9:30 a.m. ETHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/AjikvaR0i34">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/unrealengine">Twitch</a> What It Is: Airing as part of its live Unreal Fest from Orlando, FL, Epic will share what's next for Unreal Engine 5 and the publisher overall. The biggest news is that The Witcher IV will be featured as part of a technology showcase. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/e3faac6b/best_indie_games_showcase_2025_1.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Best Indie Games Showcase </h4>Start Time: 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. PTHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/ClemmyGames">YouTube</a>What It Is: The popular YouTube channel established itself as one of the most popular destinations for discovering indie games, and it gets to do so one more year in a larger showcase format. Games confirmed to appear include anticipated titles like Hotel Barcelona, Ruffy and the Riverside, Outbound, and Cattle Country.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/db6ae60b/mix_summer_game_showcase_25.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>The MIX Summer Game Showcase </h4>Start Time:  9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/MediaIndieExchange">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/mediaindieexchange">Twitch</a> What It Is: The Guerrilla Collective is partnering with The Media Indie Exchange (MIX) for an online showcase. Expect new game announcements, reveals, and fresh looks at gameplay for upcoming titles. <h2 class="text-align-center">June 4</h2> June 4 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/29/add80c50/shacknewsindieshowcase25.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Shacknews E4 Indie Showcase</h4>Start Time: 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ETHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@shacknews">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/Shacknews">Twitch</a>What It Is: The folks at Shacknews are holding their own indie games showcase. The event boasts exclusive trailers and reveals for over 20 titles.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/c8b15607/stateofplay2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>PlayStation State of Play</h4>Start Time: 2 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ETHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/PlayStation">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/playstation">Twitch</a> What It Is: PlayStation's presentation will feature over 40 minutes of announcements for upcoming PS5 titles. <h2 class="text-align-center">June6</h2> June 6 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/05/08/b5a7fc97/accessabilityshowcaseart.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Access-Ability Summer Showcase </h4>Start Time: 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ETHow to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LauraKBuzz">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/LauraKBuzz">Twitch</a>What Is It: Hosted by Laura Kate Dale, the third-annual showcase spotlights new and upcoming games created by disabled game developers. The event also highlights accessibility game features and settings, celebrating the industry's growing initiative to ensure every person can engage with gaming.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/4c418622/sgf_2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Summer Game Fest </h4>Start Time: 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thegameawards">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/thegameawards">Twitch</a> What It Is: The flagship showcase of the summer. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, expect a bevy of "World Premieres" and updates for current and upcoming titles, along with likely quite a few surprises.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/e43303fb/dayofthedevs2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Day of the Devs </h4>Start Time: Immediately following Summer Game Fest How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DayoftheDevs">YouTube</a> What It Is: Arguably the premier indie showcase of the season, presented by Psychonauts/Brütal Legend developer Double Fine Productions and collectibles company iam8bit. Previous editions have showcased a litany of exciting and unique titles from smaller/independent developers from various backgrounds.   <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/a50d863f/ballxpitbanner.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Devolver Direct: Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story</h4>Start Time: 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thegameawards">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/thegameawards">Twitch</a> What It Is: Instead of holding its usual unhinged showcase highlighting multiple games, Devolver Digital is spotlighting a single new title instead: Ball x Pit: The Kenny Sun Story. We have no idea if this game is real or an elaborate joke, but we're looking forward to finding out.   <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/02/c474155b/io_showcase_header.jpg" alt="IO Interactive IOI Showcase 007 First Light Hitman World of Assassination MindsEye" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>IOI Showcase</h4>Start Time: 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET How to Watch: YouTube What It Is: IO Interactive is holding its first digital showcase to celebrate the studio's 25-year history. Expect details on new content updates for Hitman World of Assassination, the first full reveal for its long-awaited James Bond game, 007 First Light, and one last look at MindsEye (developed by Build A Rocket Boy) before its June 10 launch. <h2 class="text-align-center">June 7</h2> June 7 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/cfeff8d2/image.png" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Wholesome Direct</h4>Start Time: 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/WholesomeGames">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/wholesome_games">Twitch</a> What It Is: Grab your favorite blanket and kick back with the most relaxed gaming showcase of the summer. A curated selection of roughly 60 titles, ranging from big companies to indie creators, will appear. The event will also provide updates on Wholesome Games Presents titles, Is This Seat Taken? and MakeRoom.   <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/c25f620b/womenledshowcase2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default">  <h4>Women-Led Games Showcase</h4>Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Women-LedGames">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/womenledgames">Twitch</a> What It Is: This showcase features 39 games developed by women creators and teams. Expect updates on announced titles and world premieres.    <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/97857e90/latamshowcase2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default">  <h4>Latin American Games Showcase</h4>Start Time: 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LAGShowcase/featured">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/lagshowcase">Twitch</a> What It Is: This event, partnered with Summer Game Fest, features world premieres and updates for over 50 titles developed in Latin America.   <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/2ecf6204/ignlive25.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>IGN Live - Day 1 Livestream</h4>Start Time: 12 p.m. PT/ 3 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@IGN/streams">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/ign">Twitch</a> What It Is: IGN's two-day live event will feature new game announcements and other updates on upcoming titles as well as interviews with developers.   <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/23/cb0d348f/seashowcase2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Southeast Asian Games Showcase</h4>Start Time: 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/16_LM0ZBSmc">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/seagamesshowcase">Twitch</a> What It Is: Another Summer Game Fest affiliate event that will showcase over 45 titles created in Southeast Asia. Expect exclusive reveals, new trailers, and updates on   <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/f815073d/fgs2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Future Games Show Summer Showcase </h4>Start Time: 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@FutureGamesShow">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/futuregamesshow">Twitch</a> What It Is: Voice actors Laura Bailey and Matt Mercer host this year's show, highlighting over 40 AAA and indie games. Notable announcements include a new trailer for Supermassive Games’ Directive 8020, an interview with developer Hangar 13 for Mafia: The Old Country, and a new trailer for Crisol: Theater of Idols from Blumhouse Games.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/88546f9c/green_games_showcase_key_art.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Green Games Showcase</h4>Start Time: 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thegameawards">YouTube</a> What It Is: Organized by PlanetPlay and hosted by games journalist Will Freeman, this new event showcases titles leading the charge in protecting and repairing the environment, whether through sustainability or raising awareness.  The event also aims to help raise money throughout June to plant over 50,000 trees for reforestation efforts.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/860e2c1b/frostygamesfest.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Frosty Games Fest </h4>Start Time: 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET  How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@FrostyGamesFest">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/frostygamesfest">Twitch</a> What It Is: This first-of-its-kind showcase specifically spotlights games developed in Australia and New Zealand. As the organizers state, "It’s a hard time to make games right now, and the Frosty team believes the outstanding games from this part of the world deserve more attention. " <h2 class="text-align-center">June 8</h2> June 8 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/04/09/4c8feb68/xbox-showcase-2025-graphic.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Xbox Games Showcase/The Outer Worlds 2 Direct</h4>Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/xbox/hub">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/Xbox">Twitch</a> What Is It: Xbox rolls out the <s>red</s> green carpet for its upcoming slate of games. Immediately following the show is a special broadcast dedicated to Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds 2.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/2ecf6204/ignlive25.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>IGN Live - Day 2 Livestream</h4>Start Time: 12 p.m. PT/ 3 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@IGN/streams">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/ign">Twitch</a> What It Is: IGN's two-day live event will feature new game announcements, updates on upcoming titles, and interviews with developers.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/8879a30e/pc_gaming_show_25.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>PC Gaming Show</h4>Start Time: 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@pcgamer">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/pcgamer">Twitch</a> What It Is: PC Gamer's annual showcase will feature over 50 titles hitting PC, Mac, and Linux in 2025 and beyond. Developers/Publishers confirmed to appear include Ubisoft, Devolver Digital, Astra Logical, and Failbetter Games.   <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/e06a809b/deathstranding2gamepremiere.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default">  <h4>Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Game Premiere</h4>Start Time: 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOV2Rx-ncxM">YouTube</a> What It Is: Airing live from the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, Geoff Keighley hosts this special presentation of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Director Hideo Kojima, alongside "special guests," will participate in a panel discussion while fans will be treated to a new gameplay demonstration. <h2 class="text-align-center">June 9</h2>June 9  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/9b4016e4/blackvoicesingaming2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>Black Voices In Gaming</h4>Start Time: 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET How to Watch: YouTube What It Is:  The annual showcase celebrating Black game creators (and their games) from around the world makes its return.  <h2 class="text-align-center">July 11</h2> July 11 <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/15/42a44738/uploadvrshowcase2025.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h4>The UploadVR Summer Showcase</h4>Start Time: 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET How to Watch: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqDMvCa1tGak6AmijajiKOw">YouTube</a> What Is It: UploadVR's big event promotes emerging virtual reality titles across various platforms, including exclusive announcements and first looks at upcoming titles.

Jun 3

Get A New Look At The Witcher IV In Unreal Engine Technical Showcase<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/b6593a34/the_witcher_44.jpg" width="800" height="448" alt="The Witcher IV 4 Unreal Engine 5 Gameplay Technical Showcase" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> CD Projekt Red took the stage during today's <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2025/06/02/the-witcher-iv-is-getting-a-tech-showcase-during-epics-state-of-unreal-tomorrow">State of Unreal showcase</a> to unveil a new look at <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/the-witcher-iv">The Witcher IV</a>. In it, CDPR takes viewers through a technical showcase highlighting new Unreal Engine 5 Nanite technology, NPC animations, and, of course, Ciri, the protagonist monster slayer of this fourth installment in the series. The Witcher IV looks gorgeous, and CDPR says today's demo is running on a standard PlayStation 5 at 60 FPS. The demo begins with a cinematic showing a stagecoach in peril before we get a new look at Ciri. After the cinematic, CDPR took the stage to go hands-on-sticks for the technical showcase, which shows our first look at Ciri in representativ gameplay, her new horse companion Kelpie, and the gorgeous Kovir region the duo will explore. The demo takes viewers through some foliage for a look at new Nanite technology before bringing Ciri and Kelpi to the city of Valdrest. Check out the technical showcase for yourself below (thanks for the capture, GamesPrey): <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SwjLeGh_3qA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true"> </iframe>Jumping into some of the more technical details of this look at The Witcher IV, CDPR says Unreal Engine 5 features "Multi-Character Motion Matching" that keeps Ciri and Kelpie perfectly synchronized when mounting from any angle or speed, and claims "controlling Kelpie feels realistic and grounded" as a result. The new "Unreal Chaos Flesh Solver" allows realistic muscles to move and stretch under Kelpie's skin without compromising the game's performance. After Ciri and Kelpie ride into a wild forest of the Kovir region of this world, CDPR explains that "Nanite Foliage," a new feature of Unreal Engine 5, allows artists to model every single leaf and pine needle. Each one can be represented as an "adaptive, volumetric, fully 3D voxel representation" that turns them into cubes the size of a pixel. According to Unreal, this technology makes designing foliage that reacts realistically to the world and light around it easier. The final piece of technology highlighted during The Witcher IV showcase is an "entirely new Unreal animation framework," that CDPR says has allowed it to put over 300 animated NPCs "going about their business" without compromising a 60 FPS gameplay vision.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/03/7758a992/295032d9ca06e746d883ff7ea174b7be_q90_900x900.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> Valdrest The entire technical showcase looks beautiful and is quite ambitious. Of course, The Witcher IV is likely years away, and this showcase represents technology and not necessarily what the final game will look like. Still, it's an exciting look at the possibilities of CDPR's next open-world RPG. What did you think of the technical showcase? Let us know in the comments below!

Jun 3

Here Are The Things We Wish We Knew About Elden Ring Nightreign Before Playing<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/27/8b9193e4/er9.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Elden Ring Nightreign Game Informer Review 8 10 " typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/elden-ring-nightreign">Elden Ring Nightreign</a> is almost here! It launches tomorrow, with new From Software-designed bosses and challenges to take on in The Lands Between. Though it retains the From Software action at its core, it’s a roguelite experience, meaning it plays unlike anything the studio has made before. As such, this game has lots of “new” to pick up on. Fortunately for you, my colleague Alex Van Aken and I (read my<a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/elden-ring-nightreign/encapsulating-efficiency" target="_blank"> 8 out of 10 review here</a>) have put more than 60 hours into the game, and we’ve rounded up the best beginner tips and tricks for anyone jumping into Elden Ring Nightreign. <h2>Elden Ring Nightreign: Beginner Tips and Tricks</h2> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/27/66f8c3c7/Elden%20Ring%20Key%20Art.jpeg" alt="Elden Ring Nightreign Game Informer Review 8 10 " typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <ul><li>All armament attributes and buffs affect your character, EVEN WHEN UNEQUIPPED<ul><li>Notice those caps? We can't emphasize this point enough. Every weapon you pick up features unique buffs and effects, ranging from things like increased ranged or holy damage to increased attack under specific circumstances. For the most part, these effects will be applied to your character as long as the armament is in one of your item slots.</li><li>The exception to this rule is any armament with a red hand symbol attached to an effect in its description. If you see this red hand, it means you must have it equipped and in use to receive the effect. You'll know it's working because you'll see a white hand symbol instead of the red hand when it's utilized.</li></ul></li><li>Get to Level 2 quickly – it makes a massive difference.<ul><li>When you land, you will pretty much always drop into Limveld by a small camp that's not marked on the map. Defeat all of the enemies here and head to the nearest Site of Grace to level up. Reaching Level 2 requires very few Runes, and the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 is massive – it's the difference you'll need to take on the points of interest actually marked on your map.</li></ul></li><li>If you can level up, a flashing light-blue arrow will appear next to the level indicator in the top left corner of your UI.<ul><li>It's also a great idea to memorize how many Runes are needed to go from Level X to Level Y so you can do the mental calculations on the fly.</li></ul></li><li>Use spectral trees to fly around the map quickly.<ul><li>On your map, you will see blue spectral trees with wind-like streams flowing out of them. The wind stream indicates the direction this tree will take you, and interacting with the tree in-world will cause a spectral eagle to pick you up and, if you don't touch anything, drop you off at the end of the wind stream path on the map. You can use the on-screen button prompts to either descend quickly with the eagle or have it drop you altogether.</li></ul></li></ul> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/27/e5a6dc8c/er1.jpg" alt="Elden Ring Nightreign Game Informer Review 8 10 " typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <ul><li>When using the spectral tree eagles, don't touch your left stick.<ul><li>Doing so will throw the eagle off its flight path, leading to a quick end for your flight.  Don't press anything to travel the full distance.</li></ul></li><li>Another great way to traverse the map quickly is via Slipstream Jumps.<ul><li>On your map, these jumps look like blue flames, and when you reach them in-world, that's what they look like too. Hop into them and press the jump button to launch into the air. You can direct where you land using the analog sticks – these jumps are useful for climbing up cliffs quickly, reaching new areas, or pulling off u-turns mid-air to get somewhere else. You can also use them to cover distance quickly, which is especially useful for escaping the storm.</li></ul></li><li>Visit churches to increase your flask charge count.<ul><li>On your map, you will see orange-gold churches. Visit these to increase your flash count by one. After visiting a church, its symbol on your map will turn grey, indicating that you've already obtained the flask charge increase there.</li></ul></li><li>When you reach a church, your character will also be fully healed when accepting the additional flask.<ul><li>This is a great thing to keep in mind if you have to head into the storm to reach a church, as your health will be restored, giving you more of a fighting chance against the storm's damage.</li></ul></li><li>Use your Evergaol Keys on Day One.<ul><li>Using an Evergaol Key to open an Evergaol on the map will spawn a random boss to fight. If you do this on Day One, the boss will only have half of its health, which you'll notice when you see half of its health bar greyed out. If you open an Evergaol on Day Two, the boss will have two-thirds of its health, making it a tougher fight.</li></ul></li><li>Most points of interest have multiple entry points.<ul><li>Utilize these different entrances to take down points of interest quicker, like the basements of castles and forts.</li></ul></li></ul> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/27/404d57da/er5.jpg" alt="Elden Ring Nightreign Game Informer Review 8 10 " typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <ul><li>If you see the merchant that looks like the Equillibrious Beast (colloquially known as Libra), speak to it.<ul><li>It offers bargains, such as giving you a "powerful weapon" at the cost of two levels (trust me: it isn't worth it because I received a grey weapon from this once and it was devastating) or boosting dexertity at the cost of limited FP (an excellent choice for the Ironeye, who has a Dexerity affinity and little use for FP).</li></ul></li><li>Ninety-nine percent of the time, it's worth it to complete the Shifting Earth events on the map.<ul><li>These will unlock as you beat more Nightlord bosses, and you won't have one on the map until you beat the first Nightlord boss. The first one you'll unlock is the volcano event, and it's one of the best to complete. Heading down into the volcanic area leads to a fight against a Magma Wyrm. Defeating this boss gives you an upgrade that takes any weapon of any rarity to Legendary (gold) status. The other events are great too, like the Scarlet Rot Forest, which features a blessing that yields an immunity to Scarlet Rot, increased HP, and activates a health mechanic similar to Bloodborne's Rally mechanic.</li></ul></li><li>Complete the Remembrances.<ul><li>These will unlock the longer you play each Nightfarer, and they are specialized quests for each character. Only one person in a trio can have one active. The earlier quests require you to beat a special boss on the map, but later Rememberances require beating the final boss, which is much tougher. Either way, completing Rememberances gives you excellent character-specific Relics to equip.</li></ul></li><li>Always seek out points of interest marked with the elemental damage type that's effective against the Expedition's Nightlord.<ul><li>When selecting an expedition, you'll see what elemental damage type the Nightlord boss is weak to, noted by a symbol of the element next to "effective." You can also read the Nightlord's description for another hint about the effectiveness of this elemental damage.</li></ul></li></ul> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/27/37e1c8a8/er6.jpg" alt="Elden Ring Nightreign Game Informer Review 8 10 " typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <ul><li>If you see a red spectre on their knees in Limveld with the item marker on it, interact with it to receive a bunch of loot.<ul><li>These are the spectres of other players who have died, and you can see which character they were playing as, and you’ll notice their loot is themed around that as well.</li><li>If you find an Ironeye spectre, for example, you’ll see that their weapons are marked with “The Ironeye’s Grief” or “The Ironeye’s Revenge.” If you’re playing Ironeye, you should pick these up as they directly increase Ironeye’s scaled affinities like Dexerity.</li></ul></li><li>Check back in with the Jar Merchant in the Roundtable Hold periodically.<ul><li>His shop updates throughout your journey to include additional Relics, such as character-specific ones, and more.</li></ul></li><li>After beating two Nightlord bosses (or in other words, successfully completing two Expeditions), head to the new mirror icon on the Roundtable Hold map.<ul><li>Here, you can purchase additional outfits for your Nightfarers using Merk, the same currency used to purchase things from the Jar Merchant.</li></ul></li><li>Upgrade grey rarity weapons to blue using Smithing Stones.<ul><li>You can find these basic Smithing Stones out in the world or by purchasing them from merchants scattered about the map for 6500 Runes. The upgrade bench is always by the merchant.</li></ul></li><li>Upgrade blue rarity weapons to purple using upgraded Smithing Stones.<ul><li>To find these special Smithing Stones, head into the mines on your map and sprint through until you find the Golem miniboss. Defeat it to receive the type of Smithing Stone needed to upgrade your blue rarity weapons to purple rarity.</li></ul></li><li>You can quickly mark items and places on the ground by holding Triangle/Y and pressing R3/RS.<ul><li>The corresponding symbol and color will indicate who on your team made the mark.</li></ul></li><li>If you run into the Flame Chariot world bosses, you can dispatch them extremely fast by double jumping onto their head and pressing R1/RB.<ul><li>When you double jump onto the top of their heads or nearby, pressing R1/RB should activate a critical hit (the same move that allows you to stab enemies in the back). This critical hit instantly kills them, which is faster than the critical hit achievable by stabbing the chariot drivers in the back. </li></ul></li></ul>And that's all of our beginner tips and tricks for you before heading into <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/elden-ring-nightreign">Elden Ring Nightrein</a>. For more, read <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/elden-ring-nightreign/encapsulating-efficiency">Game Informer's Elden Ring Nightreign review</a>, and then <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2025/05/29/elden-ring-nightreigns-launch-trailer-summons-the-power-of-evanescence">check out this Elden Ring Nightreign launch trailer</a> that summons the power of Evanescence. If you have any tips or tricks not listed here, drop them in the comments below for your fellow Nightfarers heading into The Lands Between!

May 29

How Sega And Lizardcube Pulled Shinobi Out Of The Shadows<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/7e3785ed/shinobi%20header.jpg" width="800" height="523" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Publisher: Sega Developer: Lizardcube, Sega Release: <time datetime="2025-08-29T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">August 29, 2025</time> Rating: Teen In 1987, Sega sought to capitalize upon the mainstream popularity of ninjas with an arcade title called Shinobi. The title was a big hit for Sega as it attempted to recapture success in the arcade market, and the company leveraged the acclaim to help it make headway in the console gaming market as it converted the game to the Sega Master System, PC, and even Sega's future rival platform, the Nintendo Entertainment System. The result was a multiplatform hit that established its protagonist, Joe Musashi, as one of Sega's early heroes and spawned several sequels in arcades and across Genesis, Game Gear, Saturn, PlayStation 2, and 3DS.However, following the 3DS release of Shinobi 3D in 2011, the franchise came to a screeching halt. What was once considered one of Sega's flagship franchises went dormant for over a decade, and memories of Joe Musashi's adventures settled securely into the realm of nostalgia. Though Sega released an enhanced version of the original game in 2020 on Switch as part of the retro series Sega Ages, it felt increasingly like 2011 was the final time fans would step into the tabi of the Oboro Clan.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/0417128e/shinobisa.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> The Sega Ages version of Shinobi (2020) In that time, other franchises fell away one by one. Longtime Sega mainstays like Super Monkey Ball and Virtua Fighter joined already dormant series like Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio, and Crazy Taxi, as increasing emphasis was put on franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog and, in the coming years, Yakuza (Like a Dragon). "When people hear 'Sega' nowadays, they usually have the impression of Sonic or Like a Dragon, which we are very grateful for," director of Sega's content production department Kagasei Shimomura says. "These are IPs that we are very proud of, of course, but we do think that if you had asked people maybe 20 years ago or 30 years ago, there would have been fans thinking of many more IPs than Sonic or Like a Dragon. Those fans' excitement is very important." Power Surge <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/16/7c75af89/archive_gameplay_bamboo-forest.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> Revenge of Shinobi (1989) <h2>Power Surge</h2>Shimomura as part of a larger Sega teams examined the back catalog, realizing the sheer breadth of IPs under Sega's umbrella over its more than 60 years in existence. They decided it would be to the company's advantage and would appeal to a broader fan base to revive various inactive franchises. The aforementioned Sega Ages collection kept several classic series alive through enhanced remasters, but Shimomura, who helped spearhead Sega Ages, didn't think that was enough. "We didn't just want to go and make remasters or remakes of all the titles that are already around," he says. "We want people to enjoy and be satisfied by what we put out there, and find ways to create new Sega fans."After deciding to rebuild these seemingly lost franchises, Shinobi emerged as an early favorite for the fan base and the team. Shimomura loves the series as a player but also noticed symmetry between this new Sega initiative and Sega Ages, as Shinobi was the first game to enter development in the Nintendo Switch Sega Ages program. Though it was not the first to release in that collection, Shimomura appreciated the poetic nature of having Shinobi be the first series to revive under this <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/sega-is-returning-to-some-of-its-best-games">new initiative</a> of bringing back legacy IPs. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0VHYLJR9pNg" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true"> </iframe>Sega's plans to develop new games in previously inactive franchises were revealed during The Game Awards 2023. The teaser trailer announced new projects for Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Crazy Taxi, and Shinobi. In addition, though not officially a part of this initiative, Sega released the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/super-monkey-ball-banana-rumble/a-ripe-return" target="_blank">first all-new entry in the Super Monkey Ball</a> series in over a decade last year, and a new Virtua Fighter game is in development.Shimomura began thinking about how to approach these classic franchises, with special attention paid to Shinobi. He feels he can trace the lineage of all Sega action titles back to the original Shinobi game, making it a fitting place to start with the revival process for these IPs.Retro Reconnection <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/fbfa582b/sor4.jpg" alt="Streets of Rage 4" title="Streets of Rage 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> Streets of Rage 4 (2020) <h2>Retro Reconnection</h2>Once Shinobi was settled as the appropriate title to kickstart this new strategy, Shimomura and the rest of Sega began looking for a development team that would best possess the capabilities to deliver a product that pays homage to the past while effectively bringing the series into the modern-day gaming landscape. Sega looked no further than a small indie studio that had recently accomplished that feat with two of its other long-dormant Sega franchises.Lizardcube, a Parisian game studio known for its gorgeous 2D art styles and tight gameplay, released Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap in 2017 and Streets of Rage 4 in 2020. Both titles received critical acclaim, earning scores in the 80s on the reviews aggregate site Metacritic. However, while both are new entries in Sega-owned franchises, Sega was not directly involved with developing or publishing those titles. Instead, Sega licensed its IPs to Lizardcube.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/1be0d4c6/wonderboy.jpg" alt="Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap" title="Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (2017) "After the success of Streets of Rage 4, Sega came to us, basically asking how we’re doing and if we had any other ideas about reviving," Lizardcube CEO and creative director Ben Fiquet says. "As big Sega fans, my blood started to boil once again."Fiquet and his team at Lizardcube pitched Sega on a Shinobi game, which proved serendipitous, considering Shimomura's preference for that franchise to kick off the legacy IP initiative. Lizardcube's pitch impressed Sega in striking a balance between old and new, simultaneously delivering a nostalgic and novel experience, a common challenge for any developer remaking, remastering, or creating a new entry in a classic series. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/16/26ce91b5/shinobi_art_of_vengeance_screenshot_-_bamboo_forest.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (2025) "Getting the tone right in terms of art, in terms of vibe, in terms of different setup, but the gameplay, sometimes people don’t remember the gameplay exactly; they just remember playing a ninja and being a fast action game for the time," Fiquet says. "So, they want a fast action game, but it’s not the same thing as in the ‘90s on the Genesis. A fast action-platformer game has a lot of competition now. It needs to appeal to modern gamers, which, in my opinion, is fair because nostalgia can only get us so far, and we want the new people to care, and some people are young and they don’t know about the license."After Fiquet's team at Lizardcube submitted a pitch to Sega, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was born. "Lizardcube is a studio that has extreme attention to detail and quality," Shimomura says. "When they were working on Streets of Rage 4, this was also something that we could tell. Back then, when Streets of Rage 4 came out, it wasn't that major to have revivals of older IPs on the market at that point, but we realized by the way people responded that working with a studio like Lizardcube that really has love and passion for Sega IPs is definitely something that users also appreciated."Or-Oboros <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/f4c13891/primary_shinobi_keyart_16x9.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <h2>Or-Oboros</h2>Both sides agreed that a 2D action title would be the most effective and appropriate way to bring Shinobi back. However, that gameplay style still required iteration. Using Shinobi 1, 2, and 3 as the primary inspirations, Lizardcube began experimenting with ways to create a more engaging experience for the player. "We started the game as a direct follow-up of the gameplay for the original games, but we soon realized, even at the prototype phase, that it was kind of missing something," Fiquet says. "We soon realized that if you wanted to have the player care about what they will be doing the most, which is fighting, the fighting will need to be more interesting. That’s why you have a lot of moves now, and it’s a very interesting mix because it’s more like a beat-‘em-up in a platforming environment. You have a combo system, you have different moves at your disposal, powers, ultras, and different stuff, so that when the player is doing what they’re doing the most, they are entertained."Shimomura appreciated Lizardcube's trademark striking art style and its approach to older IPs with respect but without fear of renovating where needed. "The action-platformer genre is really part of the Shinobi DNA; we call it the lore," he says. "We didn't want to make a remake or remaster, but we wanted to make sure that we stay true to the lore and also innovate alongside. We identify the lore to be the DNA of an IP, which is not just a story or a certain setting, but really the essence of the IP itself, which we do believe is, in part, the action-platformer genre." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/16/90f69c47/shinobi_art_of_vengeance_screenshot_-_lantern_festival.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> This time around, Sega wanted to be more involved as a development and publishing partner rather than simply licensing the Shinobi IP like it did for Wonder Boy and Streets of Rage. "As you can imagine, it’s like a dream come true; if you’re a Sega fan and you were a kid in the ‘90s, working with Sega, it’s kind of meeting your heroes in a way," Fiquet says. "Sega has a better knowledge of games in general, and their own games as well. The back and forth has been more constant from the beginning because our producer, whom I really like, came from game development; they are not just marketing or a producer just trying to sell you something because this is an old IP. They really know what they’re talking about."The producer Fiquet refers to is Toru Ohara, who started as a game designer at Sega more than 30 years ago and serves as chief producer on Shinobi: Art of Vengeance from Sega's side. As Fiquet indicated, Sega is taking a more hands-on approach than simply filling traditional publisher duties. For instance, the art style in Lizardcube's first pitch project was initially what Fiquet described as "a little soft." Ohara and his team encouraged Lizardcube to become more expressive and use more brush strokes, resulting in the striking art style we now see in Shinboi: Art of Vengeance. "When they shared their ideas with us, we felt that this European art style in combination with a Japanese feel is something very special and unique," Ohara says. "We tried to add to their very beautiful art style through our feedback [to create] a little bit more of a Japanese feel to make it very distinctive." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/c6b69c6d/lantern_festival.jpg" alt="Shinobi: Art of Vengeance" title="Shinobi: Art of Vengeance" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> Ohara's team consulted with Lizardcube on elements like brushstroke types, building designs, and other components to add more Japanese flavor to the visual aesthetics of Art of Vengeance. This collaboration's result is vibrant and beautiful, even within a crowded 2D action-platforming genre. As Fiquet describes it, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance possesses a style that is often reserved for animation or comics rather than video games. This gorgeous art style is the most realized continuation of the path '90s Genesis games like Aladdin, Earthworm Jim, Cool Spot, and The Lion King sent Fiquet down three decades ago.But it wasn't just feedback and suggestions; a team led by Ohara actively joined Lizardcube for development. This wasn't solely to deliver the best product possible but also to ensure everything remains wholly true to the Shinobi franchise. From the characters, world, themes, and, of course, the main protagonist Joe Musashi, Ohara, Shimomura, and their teams at Sega worked closely with Lizardcube to emphasize authenticity.Though Sega was precious about remaining true to the series, it encouraged evolution and experimentation. "We were very careful not to destroy the atmosphere that is very unique to Shinobi," Ohara says. "We felt that [the 2D action-platformer genre] needed to be evolved and modernized in order to make sure that, nowadays, players can enjoy the game and that the play-feel is correct, and that you have a game that is up to modern standards quality-wise. We were very particular not to keep everything as it was just for the sake of keeping it as it was."Striking in the Open <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/d1872c9c/fire_ninjutsu.jpg" alt="Shinobi: Art of Vengeance" title="Shinobi: Art of Vengeance" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <h2>Striking in the Open</h2>Though Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was first teased during The Game Awards 2023, another 2D ninja-based action-platformer in a legacy '90s IP from a renowned indie developer was also announced at The Game Awards 2024. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is set to arrive later this year from The Game Kitchen, the studio behind the <a href="https://gameinformer.com/review/blasphemous-2/absolution">Blasphemous</a> franchise."I think, in a good way, there's a lot going on in the action game market lately," Ohara says. "We think there are a lot of great games coming out, not only indies, but new creators creating new types of 2D action games, and just so many new ideas." As we approach the release of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance later this summer, Ohara feels confident Shinobi: Art of Vengeance will set itself apart from other potentially similar titles. "I really think there is something very new and distinct to this title, mainly the play-feel and a large variety of choices that you, as the player, can make," he says. "The game starts out as a normal action game, but it does feel much more like a fighting game in the end, where you have all these different combos that you could choose from because you can learn to do more and more and be able to do more and more the further you go." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/22/676ab88c/ninjutsu.jpg" alt="Shinobi: Art of Vengeance" title="Shinobi: Art of Vengeance" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> Sega isn't viewing this as a one-off revival. If successful, the Shinobi franchise could experience a sustained revival that sees it retake a place of prominence among Sega IPs. "Most important for us is to create games, of course," Shimomura says. "That being said, we do feel strongly about growing IPs and nurturing our IPs. So, the game release comes first, but we have also put out a release before about certain video content, but there are so many things that could happen in the future. Nothing is set in stone, of course, but there could be maybe comics or goods [...] We do think that IPs are supposed to evolve and expand, and we really do feel very strongly about our Shinobi IP and want to take care of it and nurture it. Maybe there might be a Vengeance 2 somewhere along the road. This is obviously nothing that's planned right now, but it really depends on how we can nurture the IP in the future and how the IP is going to grow, but we definitely do want to grow it."But Shinobi: Art of Vengeance isn't the only legacy IP returning in the near future. Franchises like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, and Streets of Rage were also announced in that 2023 teaser video. "We can't talk in detail about anything, but that being said, we are considering several projects and are working on several projects," Shimomura says. "Not only games, but also other things that have been [announced] already. We're really looking forward to growing several of our IPs and making sure that we have several fun things coming up in the future."<iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ge__8Dan6bU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true"> </iframe>Shinbobi: Art of Vengeance arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC on August 29.

May 23

Magical Ashwood Valley has received a release date!RedDeer.Games announced that Ashwood Valley will launch on Nintendo Switch on June 5th. In Ashwood Valley, you’ll join siblings, Draco and Luna, on a magical adventure. One day, they accidentally open a mysterious portal that takes them to an unfamiliar place far, far away from the world they know. And if that alone wasn’t enough, one of them turns into a cat along the way! Now, it’s up to you to venture through this strange place and meet its inhabitants in order to gather information on long-buried secrets the place holds, and find a spell to break the curse. During your journey, you might even learn about a local legend or two. While you explore, you’ll also encounter peculiar creatures and animals that will make you take a second look. But in the end, the pondering question is whether the forest will let you undo the curse.

May 23

Preview: Reka Already Feels Like an Immersive Witch Game I don't know who I am. I don't know what happened to my family. I'm alone, on a road to a small town, and while nobody cares enough to offer me food or a place to stay, they show enough concern to warn me away from the witch living in the woods. Yet the moment they do, I know that is exactly where I am meant to be. This is Emberstorm Entertainment's Reka , a game about training under a witch, decorating a chicken-legged, moving house, and using my herbal and potentially magical skills to improve my life throughout this simulation. I take my time on my journey to the witch's house. She's not going anywhere. I'm not running away. But I do want to know what is around us, and what I can expect. I help a merchant with a fae entity of sorts trapped in a lantern repair a wagon. I find a baby goat before it falls to it's death in a well. People in this dwindling village spread many rumors about the woman I'll soon meet. She's a demonic presence. She's an eccentric old lady. She once had a companion, but who knows where they went. She eats children. She's an affront to The High Lord. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY2gsgGRKAQ&ab_channel=emberstormentertainment Everyone has an opinion and, after hearing a sufficient amount, I know enough to suss out her exact location and use my compass to head to my new home. All this serves as a means of showing how much worldbuilding can be done in such a short amount of time. You need to try and connect to learn more. Only by hearing rumors can you get on the right path. But by taking that time, you also learn what their lives are like. What the village is like. What they need. How you can help to gain useful or decorative rewards. Upon first meeting Baba Jaga, she seems... ordinary. A plain, elderly woman. Someone a bit gruff. She's been waiting for me, just as I have for her, and she tasks me with gathering mushrooms and honey for our meal, then raspberries to barter with some Lutki in the woods who stole her talisman. Said charm will be mine if I retrieve it, allowing me immediate access to teleport back to her home at a whim. "So she is magic," I think as I head out for more practical gathering. Her crows follow and surround me. Whether they are there to report my deeds back to her or protect me, I can't tell. Mushrooms, honey, and raspberries are easy enough to spot. So are the mischievous woodland creatures that look like hopping wooden logs with faces. They're eager to trade me niceties like apples for my berries and give a gift if freed from errant logs, though I did need to chase down the thief who stole from my new master. I feel like that’s what I appreciate most about Reka , even in these early days. There’s a strong sense of magical realism. Yes, there really are beings like the Lutki and Leshy in the woods. Some remedies for people around you are as simple as putting in some effort to harvest, gather, or prepare food. However, there’s real magic here too. The fast traveling is a prime example, as is the chicken-footed, moving home itself. After a death in the family in the village, the home really does need to be cleansed, but that involves placing black salt instead of weaving some spell. But it’s amazing how often practicality and common sense wins. For example, when getting permission from Leshy for a trial that allows a larger home, none of the tasks involve magic or crafting. They involve actions that make the forest and its inhabitants happier. Images via Emberstorm Entertainment I also appreciate how this carries over to added content as well. For example, in May 2025 a Roots and Remedies update launched for Reka. This brings farming to the game. However, I feel like that garden is multifaceted. It looks nice, besides my quaint cottage. It adds something new to my routine. But it also enhances this witch game by making elixirs possible. Yes, we could poison people before, but now there are more opportunities, and it seems like a means of using both practical tonics to assist people and more magical potions such as one that lets us understand animals. Reka feels full of potential and like a witch game that explores how “magic” could be an actual spell or a more practical solution someone didn’t consider. Even though the 1.0 release isn’t set to arrive until later in 2025, it feels like there’s so much to enjoy already. I love diving into the world created here and taking in the ambiance. Reka is in early access on PC via Steam . The post Preview: Reka Already Feels Like an Immersive Witch Game appeared first on Siliconera .

May 22

Spirit of the North 2 – ReviewWhen the original Spirit of the North debuted back in 2020, it slipped under our review radar. That may have been a mistake, seeing as how that original game boasts an impressive 84% audience score on Steam even now. So, when we were given the chance to take a look at its sequel, we eagerly agreed. Could developer Infuse Studio repeat the success of the first game, or did they capture lightning in a bottle? And how well does Spirit of the North 2 stand on its own four paws? Story Fortunately, it’s not necessary to have played the first game to understand the story of Spirit of the North 2. You do need to go out of your way to figure out what is going on, as the narrative is delivered in bits and pieces, through collectible scrolls and books. There is no dialogue, as the game’s protagonists are all animals. This does mean that it’s easy to miss out on a lot of the story, unless you put effort into it. The gist of it is that a long time ago, the spirit animal guardians of various tribes were corrupted by Grimnir, the guardian of the Bear tribe. In the present day, our hero, a fox, accidentally sets Grimnir free again. It’s now up to the fox and his raven companion to undo this mistake. Graphics While the animal models that make up the cast of Spirit of the North 2 look decent enough, it’s the game’s different environments that are the true visual stars of the show. There is a huge variety when it comes to the open world, from snow-covered mountains to lush forests. Being an open world game, you can go anywhere you can see, and we found ourselves simply wanting to look around the biomes and admire the vistas. Now, the animal models feel admittedly a bit dated, with fur textures in particular looking rough, but this did lead to a surprisingly efficient performance overall, even when there were a lot of things happening on-screen at once. Sound The feeling of awe that springs forth from Spirit of the North 2’s environments is enhanced by a subtle, haunting soundtrack. For the most part, it’s deliberately subdued and understated, although this changes during action scenes. There is no voice acting, but the ambient sounds of nature and the calls of animals more than make up for this. Gameplay At its core, Spirit of the North 2’s gameplay is deceptively simple, especially for the open-world title it purports to be. This is a game that is mostly about exploring your surroundings, and in this regard, it is surprisingly similar to the recently reviewed The End of the Sun. Spirit of the North 2 then combines that exploration with platforming and puzzle-solving. There is no set path for the fox to follow, and very little in the way of outright guidance on where to go next. That doesn’t mean that you’ll end up feeling lost, as exploration feels intuitive and organic. You’ll gradually unlock new abilities for both the fox and the raven, and this allows you to deal with obstacles in different ways. The fox is even able to glide across gaps or can be lifted up into the sky, with the raven picking it up. This might not be something that would happen in the real world, but it’s a neat little feature, and we’re still looking at a game where a magical, glowing fox is trying to save the world. A good chunk of your time will be spent simply wandering the gorgeous environments, while looking for Spirit Wisps. These need to be collected to progress to the different areas that make up the vast world. There is quite a bit of variety when it comes to finding these Wisps. Some are easy enough to track down, but others require the solving of environmental puzzles, precision platforming, or the aid of your feathered friend. While there is no set order in which you unlock stuff with Wisps, each progressive unlock requires a greater number of Wisps. While finding these is the main driving force for the story, the world hides plenty of other secrets, from lore to currency, which can be spent on goodies from raccoon merchants. There is no actual combat in Spirit of the North 2. Instead, when you’re facing one of the opposing guardian spirits in a boss battle, the encounter plays out like a fast-paced puzzle instead. You’ll need to dodge attacks and traps, and figure out a way to deal with powerful foes like an angry stag or a pair of wolves, one of whom can breathe fire. The encounters are never cakewalks, although they don’t feel unfair either. Unfortunately, Spirit of the North 2 doesn’t quite nail those platforming aspects, mostly owing to awkward controls and inconsistency within its own mechanics. Sometimes you can jump at will, and at other times you can only do so where a blue marker indicates you can, for example. This would be fine if the game wasn’t so insistent on getting those jumps exactly right. Combined with the size of the map and the relatively low number of checkpoints, there were a few instances where this became frustrating, as there were parts of the game that we had to redo multiple times because of an unexpected death. Sometimes these deaths were unfair too, such as when a glitch caused us to get stuck in the terrain. Yes, as much as it pains us to say, our experience with Spirit of the North 2 wasn’t glitch-free. Apart from getting stuck in the environment, there were a few instances where assets didn’t load, and one instance where a guardian spirit didn’t do anything at all during an encounter. We understand that Spirit of the North 2, despite being a sequel, is still an indie project by a fairly small team, so there is some leeway here. Hopefully, a patch or two will be deployed in the near future. None of the glitches were egregious enough that we didn’t enjoy the game. We’d definitely understand it if people were on the fence because of these though. Conclusion As a whole, there is a lot more to like than to dislike about Spirit of the North 2, although the game doesn’t stick the landing in its current state. Most of our gripes with it are tied to glitches, although the platforming can be somewhat iffy too. Still, the world itself is a joy to explore, the vistas are beautiful, and the boss encounters can really put on the pressure. We wouldn’t outright recommend Spirit of the North 2 in its current state, but if a patch or two arrive soon, then this might just be a title you’d want to add to your library.

May 22

The End of the Sun – ReviewIt has been a hot minute since we last dove into our backlog, although that’s not too surprising with games like Xenoblade Chronicles X and The Hundred Line eating up so much of our limited gaming time. Still, sometimes you want a change of pace from beating up enormous monsters. The End of the Sun promises to provide just that, offering a story-driven adventure game in a beautiful, tranquil setting. The game has actually been out since January, after a successful Kickstarter and a whopping eight years of development. While we did miss this one when it debuted, let’s rectify that and take a look at The End of the Sun. Story Taking inspiration from Slavic folklore, The End of the Sun’s story is steeped in magic and mystery. Players take on the role of an Ashter, a kind of sorcerer, who is on the trail of the phoenix-like Rarog. This mythical bird has been spotted on the outskirts of a valley in 18th-century Poland. The presence of the Rarog spells impending doom for the valley’s inhabitants, so it’s imperative for the Ashter to capture it before the bird burns everything to the ground. Of course, catching such a mythical creature isn’t an easy task. In fact, it’s a multi-year affair, but fortunately, the Ashter has the power of time travel on his side. While you’re on your bird-hunting quest, you’ll find that the inhabitants of the valley all have their own stories to deal with as well, many of them involving other myths and legends. Graphics If there’s one thing that The End of the Sun absolutely nails, it’s its visuals. The natural environments are highly detailed and realistic. The game’s lighting further enhances this, as the sunlight is broken up by the different trees and plants in the valley. The time travel mechanic allows The End of the Sun to show its surroundings across different seasons too, which does add some variety. The only thing that really broke the immersion was that the hills and forests are missing animal life, apart from birds and butterflies. This makes the valley seem a bit empty, especially if you’re walking around with no humans in sight either. The game’s performance is surprisingly robust for a world with this level of visual detail. Sound The audio of The End of the Sun doesn’t have the same immediate impact as the game’s visuals, but over the course of the entire game, it’s just as effective, albeit in much more subtle ways. The ambient sound effects add even more realism to the environments, from the calls of birds to the rustling of leaves and crackling sounds of bonfires. This is underscored by a soundtrack that is used sparingly, at key moments. The songs, with Polish lyrics, emphasize the Slavic nature of the game. Voice acting isn’t in Polish, but in English. Given that the game is subtitled in English, hearing characters talk in their native language would’ve added to the overall feeling of immersion, so we do consider this a bit of a missed opportunity. However, the voice performances are good enough that this didn’t bother us too much. Gameplay A word of warning before you embark on this adventure: The End of the Sun is a very slow burn, pun not intended. Without wanting to sound too negative, The End of the Sun is essentially a first-person walking sim with puzzles thrown in to break things up. Despite the urgency implied by the narrative, this is a game that is meant to be played at a leisurely pace. This is both The End of the Sun’s greatest strength and its biggest weakness. Exploring the peaceful, beautiful environment is an absolute joy, and the game’s puzzles are clever and challenging without being frustratingly obtuse. On the other hand, The End of the Sun’s pace can be excruciatingly slow, and there is a lot of backtracking to be done here. There is very little to actually do here apart from soaking up the environment and the different stories. Your main goal is straightforward: taking control of the Ashter, you must wander the valley, relighting all of the bonfires and hearths that are scattered around. Despite the Ashter having magical powers inherently connected to fire, he cannot simply relight fires. Instead, he’ll need to complete side quests involving the different valley inhabitants. Smoke trails from each bonfire will lead you to so-called “traces of time”, which show alternate timelines where things went wrong for inhabitants. It’s up to you to make things right, usually by tracking down specific items and solving basic puzzles. We’re trying to be as vague about this as possible, because of how narrative-driven The End of the Sun is. The individual stories aren’t exactly very deep, and explaining how these quests work would give away too much of the plot. Most of these are simple fetch quests or involve tracking down specific items, so don’t expect a whole lot of depth here. The object-based puzzles are the gameplay highlight, but they still feel like watered-down versions of something you’d see in a Poirot or Sherlock Holmes game. While the individual side quests can perfectly stand on their own as simple stories, they are still interconnected. Upon completing one, the Ashter can meditate by the relighted bonfire and move to a different time period. Clearing side stories can open up new pathways and possibilities in other ones. For example, helping out the villagers in an early quest results in the construction of a bridge. Fast forward a couple of years, and you can suddenly cross that bridge, allowing you to reach a new part of the valley. You’re constantly hopping back and forth between timelines and revisiting inhabitants at different stages of their lives. This does add to the overall feeling of backtracking too though. The End of the Sun is a fairly short game, clocking in at around 6-8 hours, so it’s a shame that so much of it feels spent aimlessly wandering around, even if the environment is gorgeous. The game doesn’t have a whole lot of replay value either, making the €25 price tag difficult to swallow, but if you can pick this up at a hefty discount, it’s very much worth it. Conclusion The gorgeous visuals of The End of the Sun blew us away from the get-go. While those same visuals kept up the wow effect throughout our time with the game, the same couldn’t be said about the gameplay. The excruciatingly slow pace of the game combined with the shallowness of its mechanics make The End of the Sun a title that you should only take on if you’re deliberately looking for a peaceful, tranquil way to unwind. It’s a matter of style over substance, and although The End of the Sun didn’t blow us away with neither gameplay nor narrative, we still appreciated just how stylish it was.

May 17

Share of the Week: Days Gone Remastered – LandscapesLast week, we asked you to share portraits of broken down and nature-filled landscapes from Days Gone Remastered using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: dfgmendes shares a snowy mountain top MrioMoreno5 shares waterfalls along the canyon AdamWilson82 shares a winding wooden path into the abyss tulippooh3 shares a hazy forest morning meza6_9 […]

May 16

World of Warcraft’s Player Housing Is Deeper Than I Imagined — Hands-On Impressions<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/16/f743048e/wow_housing_interior_1.jpeg" width="800" height="450" alt="World of Warcraft Player housing" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Player housing is finally coming to World of Warcraft after 20 years in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2023/11/06/blizzard-reveals-three-new-world-of-warcraft-expansions-starting-with-the-war">the upcoming Midnight expansion,</a> and I went hands-on with the new feature at Blizzard’s Boston office earlier this week. Despite experiencing an early, incomplete development build, the housing system’s capabilities have thoroughly impressed me. This new avenue for rewards provides yet another carrot on a stick to keep players like me returning to Azeroth.  In fact, after returning home from my session, I promptly reinstalled World of Warcraft to begin catching up on the latest expansion, The War Within, so I’m fully prepared for the long-requested feature. However, Blizzard tells me owning a home in Azeroth is a simple, low-cost effort — even new, inexperienced players should be able to afford a house soon after leaving the starting area. While I might retroactively unlock rewards by completing quests I’ve missed, there are no requirements I need to worry about satisfying before Blizzard introduces its neighborhoods. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/16/5c89d1db/wow_housing_neighborhood_1.jpeg" alt="World of Warcraft Player housing" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> “If you come in on day one and say, ‘I really want a house in the Horde map,’ we’ll get you there pretty quickly. We want to get you a house you like […] and into a neighborhood with people you like—whether those are your friends, guild mates, or just people that vaguely align with the type of player you are,” Principal Designer Jesse Kurlancheek says. Neighborhoods, each hosting roughly 50 plots of land, are instanced and persistent. Your neighbors won’t change unless they choose to move away. Alliance neighborhoods feature biomes reminiscent of Westfall, Duskwood, and Elwynn Forest, among others. The Horde can purchase land in environments similar to Durotar’s redrock landscapes, the Tauren’s mesas, and coastlines where Trolls typically reside.  Blizzard doesn’t answer most questions related to neighborhood activities, external decorations, or how mounts, pets, and other collectibles might interact with those features. Notably, Kurlancheek does not envision neighborhoods like subdivisions; instead, he reiterates that the team wants to help players realize unique homes, inside and out.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/16/cac0ebc6/wow_housing_interior_5.jpeg" alt="World of Warcraft Player housing" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> “We're still figuring out what game functionality to include, but it’s important we don't associate player power with housing. You won't get a stove that gives you +5 cooking or anything like that. If we do [make it interactive], it’ll be just a stove you can use,” Kurlancheek tells me.  Adding rooms or interior decorations works just as you’d expect: select the object from the asset library and drop it onto the floor or hang it on the wall. Additionally, you can enter Advanced Mode to scale, rotate, and position the asset using gizmos – the colorful shapes representing X, Y, and Z axes in 3D software engines – to situate it wherever you like easily. Gravity does not affect building components, so players can presumably create floating platforms or kitbash items to create new assets.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/16/bd01ea90/wowscrnshot_051225_141054.jpg" alt="World of Warcraft Player Housing Preview" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> For example, I designed a small tavern with elements from Orgrimmar, Frostwolf, and Pandaren art sets. While the build’s asset library didn’t have many cooking appliances, I obscured half the mesh of a campfire pauldron inside of a Pandaren bar table to simulate an active stovetop. I complemented the fixture with cheeseboards, beverage steins, and a large keg before bringing it all together with stone floors and wall textures you might find in an Orcish establishment.  “You'll get decorations for your house the same way you get items in the rest of World of Warcraft. You can get them from questing, raiding, Mythic+ dungeons, and achievements,” Kurlancheek says. “It's really exciting having a brand new rewards vector that's completely orthogonal to everything, because now we can incentivize players that may not have wanted to do other content.” Both old and new quests may offer decorations upon completion, so returning players are likely to obtain many retroactive rewards when logging in for the first time after the expansion drops. With 20 years' worth of content to consider, there are going to be many decorations available at launch, with more coming later as Blizzard updates older assets for implementation. While the functionality wasn’t ready for my visit, players can discover new items to unlock using a similar menu to how they currently search for equipment transmogs.  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/05/16/2430661f/wowscrnshot_051225_102259.jpg" alt="World of Warcraft Player Housing Preview" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> “There are plans in place for people to be able to see items and know how they can obtain them, so that they can search for and find them. We're also providing a [decor] starter pack with a wide variety when you get your house,” Game Producer Rachel Bussone says. “If you're someone who hasn’t played much before, haven't gotten a lot of previous achievements, and you're worried that you won't have anything at the start, we'll have a lot of stuff available.”  Despite essential tools like a duplicate button still missing, the early glimpse of player housing Blizzard gave me left me very excited for the future of World of Warcraft. I’d still love to see the inclusion of non-uniform mesh scaling and custom light sources, but the building tool provides deep customization in an easy-to-understand package. I cannot wait to own a home in Azeroth — it’s surely cheaper than the real thing.Disclosure: Activision Blizzard covered flight and hotel accommodations to Boston. Game Informer's editorial team proudly remains impartial, professional, and committed to the truth in all forms of our coverage.

May 16

Latest New Shonen Jump Manga Called Otr of the Flame Shueisha announced its new Shonen Jump manga series is called Otr of the Flame . It can be found in English on both MangaPlus and Viz Media . Only the first chapter is available now. Otr lives in the Forest Kingdom, which ended up under siege by the Ice Kingdom. As a result, it’s basically winter all year round. He wanted to do something to help his sister Sanna and people in his community, even though he was considered too young and perhaps unsuitable to be a warrior. So he heads to the kingdom’s fortress to act as a cook. The fortress captain Alajoki noticed something unusual when Otr breathed on the fire there to “help it last longer,” and cautioned the boy while also assuring him he’ll meet his father in Valhalla and make him proud no matter what he does. When Ice Kingdom Captain Beezbl and his forces break in, things look dire, but Otr manages to fight back and get a chance to be the hero he dreamed of by protecting the flame. If the art or style looks familiar, it’s because mangaka Yuki Kawaguchi is something of an established creator. Previously, he worked on The Hunter’s Guild: Red Hood , following a 14th Gold Future Cup win. However, prior to this series, the creative previously tended to work on original one-shot series. This is the second new Shonen Jump manga series to debut in a row. May 2025 kicked off with Magical Girl and Narco War debuting. And at the end of April 2025, Nice Prison launched. War of the Adults and GGG also showed up for the first time in April 2025. Otr of the Flame is now running in Shonen Jump , with the first chapter available worldwide in multiple languages. Chapter two of the series will debut on May 18, 2025. The post Latest New Shonen Jump Manga Called Otr of the Flame appeared first on Siliconera .

May 12

The Unholy Priest Free DownloadThe Unholy Priest Direct Download: The Unholy Priest offers a thrilling blend of simulation and horror genres, creating a unique and immersive experience. Run a spooky funeral service deep in a cursed and terrifying forest. By day, greet mourning customers at the reception desk, handle requests from simple burials to elaborate memorial services, and save […] The post The Unholy Priest Free Download first appeared on WorldofPCGames .

May 12

Ithya: Magic Studies Free DownloadIthya: Magic Studies Direct Download: Unlock beautifully crafted scenes, from serene forests to mystical ancient cities, each providing a calming background for study and creative pursuits. Discover a world created by artist ‘Blue Turtle’ featuring unique, hand-drawn illustrations. Set the tone for each session by adjusting the environment to match your mood. Choose between day, […] The post Ithya: Magic Studies Free Download first appeared on WorldofPCGames .

May 12

How to unlock the Uncrafting Station in Disney Dreamlight Valley Do you have a ton of unused Disney Dreamlight Valley lying around? Do you struggle to figure out what to do with it? Thankfully, the Cheshire Cat has a solution, but it requires completing a few of his friendship quests. What is his solution, then? The Cheshire Cat can teach you how to make an Uncrafting Station, letting you take objects and break them down into their raw resources. Here's how to unlock and use Disney Dreamlight Valley's Uncrafting Station. How to get the Uncrafting Station in Disney Dreamlight Valley Unlocking the Uncrafting Station requires completing the Cheshire Cat's level seven friendship quest . This mission, also titled The Uncrafting Station, walks you through the Cheshire Cat's abilities with destroying objects and receiving their raw materials. You'll then craft the station before viewing a brief tutorial on how to use it. Screenshot by Destructoid There are three steps to completing this quest and unlocking the Uncrafting Station: Destroy Wildly Jubilant Topiaries Gather Blue Spores Craft the Uncrafting Station Before making the station, the Cheshire Cat will ask you to craft and destroy Wildly Jubilant Topiaries. After crafting and placing them, the Cheshire Cat will ask you to break them, revealing his powers of returning their raw resources. He'll show this off further using balloon arches, letting you gain some flowers and other items to use however you wish. Your next goal is to venture into the Alice in Wonderland Realm to collect Blue Spores. They'll mostly appear along pathways, with some clustered around massive blue mushrooms scattered around the beginning area. Travel around this area to find some spores, giving you one of the most important materials for crafting the Uncrafting Station. Screenshot by Destructoid Lastly, you'll need to stockpile the following materials for the Uncrafting Station recipe: Mushroom (28) Glass (17) Purple Bell Flower (6) Blue Passion Lily (4) Hardwood (35) Blue Spores This recipe isn't cheap, requiring you to find two flower types, over two dozen mushrooms, and 35 hardwood. You'll need access to biomes like Frosted Heights, the Glade of Trust, and the Forest of Valor to farm each, but if you have this quest active, you'll likely already have these unlocked. With every item on hand, go to a crafting workbench to make the Uncrafting Station. How to use the Uncrafting Station in Disney Dreamlight Valley As the name suggests, the Uncrafting Station lets you uncraft items you've created or unlocked in the past. If you have furniture items you've picked up throughout your playthrough or crafted and wish to undo, you can toss them into this machine and use Dreamlight to uncraft them. You'll gain the item's crafting resources back after a short delay. Screenshot by Destructoid The delay varies depending on the furniture item's complexity and quantity. If you toss in one furniture piece, you'll likely only need a few seconds and 50 to 100 Dreamlight to break it down into its raw materials. Using dozens or a complex recipe will require more Dreamlight and time. If all your queues take a few minutes, you can take a quest detour or step away from the game for a bit and return later. The post How to unlock the Uncrafting Station in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid .

May 8

Death Stranding 2 Hands-On Impressions – Building A Stronger Connection Platform: PlayStation 5 Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Developer: Kojima Productions Release: June 26, 2025 Rating: Mature I have a love/hate relationship with the first Death Stranding. Prior to its launch in 2019, I was enamored with the world and, as a Metal Gear fan, couldn't wait to absorb a new Hideo Kojima story. Every trailer looked bananas, but as more gameplay footage revealed you're actually just a post-apocalyptic delivery person, I was wary of what the moment-to-moment gameplay would entail. Was this really just a multi-million-dollar mailman simulator? It didn’t seem terribly exciting. My tune changed when I wrapped up Chapter 3 of the game. I loved hiking across the Icelandic version of the US and playing backpack Tetris to efficiently lug boxes to quirky survivors. I felt a real sense of reward and community building roads, bridges, and repairing infrastructure for other players. Conversely, the combat felt tedious, slow, and ill-suited to the core experience. I avoided fights whenever possible and loathed the titanic boss encounters. Death Stranding's baffling plot somehow made Metal Gear’s mythos perfectly comprehensible by comparison, and not in a good way. The final act left a sour taste in my mouth. Despite my complaints, I was happy I saw Death Stranding through to the end because while deeply flawed in some areas, there's nothing else quite like it. Most of all, the foundation was strong enough that a sequel, done right, could be even more special. I’m happy to say that, so far, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is fulfilling that potential. I spent four days at Kojima Productions in Tokyo playing over 25 hours of the follow-up – roughly 40 percent of the experience, according to director Hideo Kojima himself. I walked away thinking one thing: Death Stranding 2 is a very fun game that amplifies the original’s strengths while vastly remedying its weaknesses. I’ve written in-depth features breaking down Death Stranding 2’s individual elements, such as its interactive encyclopedia , new progression systems , improved combat , and delivery/transport features . Check out those pieces for a more technical overview of the game, as this feature will provide a more general summary of my feelings about the game after the event. Death Stranding 2 is staggeringly beautiful. Leveraging Decima, the engine Guerrilla Games created to power its Horizon series, everything from the gorgeous lighting to the immaculately detailed terrain and foliage makes it one of the most visually impressive games I’ve seen this console generation. As sharp as the fidelity-focused Quality Mode looks, I highly recommend switching to Performance Mode. The game looks and plays fantastically when running at a smooth 60 frames per second, and it’s worth taking the relatively small graphical hit, as frequent grass pop-in is the only major drawback I’ve noticed. Everything still looks gorgeous either way, and it’s worth noting I played the game on a base PS5. I’ll refrain from discussing major plot beats in these impressions; I’ll only say I’ve seen a lot of what has been shown in trailers. Believe me when I say Death Stranding 2 is a wild game, even more so with context. The story takes place 11 months after the end of Death Stranding. Protagonist Sam Bridges succeeds in reconnecting the United States, reborn again as the United Cities of America (UCA), and abruptly abandons the government under seemingly bad terms, taking his now-former BB, Lou, with him. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since. That is, until Sam’s ally, Fragile, tracks him down to propose a new mission: work his porter magic again to reconnect other parts of the world, including Mexico and Australia, which I visited during my demo. Sam’s former Bridges allies, such as Die-Hardman (now President), Deadman, and Heartman, have gone their separate ways. Fragile now leads Drawbridge, a new organization consisting of members such as Dollman, Tarman, and, eventually, Rainy and Tomorrow. I’m already more invested in these personalities than I ever was in the Bridges crew, largely because they’re much cooler: Tarman is a hardened yet empathetic ship captain with a tragic past. The endearingly cheerful Rainy brings levity to the party. Tomorrow (Elle Fanning’s role) may or may not be of this world and commands an incredible power. And of course, there’s the chatty and charismatic Dollman, who is his own brand of weird and is possibly the best character so far. Since they all occupy Drawbridge’s mobile headquarters, the DHV Magellan, you spend more time getting to know them than the previous Bridges crew. I always looked forward to seeing Sam interact with this eclectic bunch of personalities, who play off each other well, from what I’ve seen. The plot is much easier to follow from the beginning since it has an established foundation to build upon. We now understand how the world and its people operate. However, the biggest reason for this newfound clarity is the newly added Corpus, an interactive encyclopedia in the vein of Final Fantasy XVI’s Active Time Lore. Notable key terms appear in the upper right-hand corner during cutscenes, and hitting the Options button pauses the scene and displays relevant lore. Corpus also contains a glossary, character profiles, and an evolving synopsis of events called The Story So Far that provides a straightforward recap of each narrative moment. Corpus did wonders in keeping me on track for two dozen hours in Death Stranding 2, and it’s one of several smart new features. Another welcome change is the scenery. The first Death Stranding was a pretty but visually monotonous adventure due to the largely unchanging Icelandic-like landscapes. The sequel immediately remedies this sameness by making the adventure a globe-trotting affair. I can only speak for Mexico and Australia, but the new locations provide a welcome variety. Death Stranding 2 begins with Sam trekking across a desert’s arid, rocky cliffs. Before I tire of this scenery, the adventure soon introduces lush forests. New dynamic weather events bolster these impressive biomes. I trudged through violent sandstorms and dodged raining fireballs that ignited a raging bushfire. These occurrences add another layer of challenge to delivering packages safely. Reconnecting scattered survivors to the Chiral Network remains a thoughtful and engaging balancing act of efficiently stacking boxes on Sam’s backpack and hauling them for miles. Another example of how Death Stranding 2 puts its best foot forward is players gaining access to the motorcycle-like Tri-Cruiser within the first couple of hours. It took ages before you could fabricate vehicles in the original, so I love how quickly the sequel puts you behind the wheel to expedite traversal. You’ll still build bridges, roads, and other infrastructure for you and a community of players to use and maintain. If you loved contributing to Death Stranding’s landscape, the ability to build entire monorail systems to transport materials from mines introduces a deeper layer of complexity for more industrious players. With Kojima Productions introducing monorails and mines relatively early, I can only imagine what other types of factory-like mechanics are in store. Death Stranding 2’s most pleasant surprise is its much-improved combat. Creative new weapons help to improve gunplay, and a freeform approach to encounters reminds me of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s best elements. The freedom to tackle enemy bases as you see fit, whether stealthily or guns blazing, and the ability to transition between approaches mid-encounter is great. A suite of new, inventive weaponry is a joy to experiment with, including items that produce decoy holograms and even a BT-damaging boomerang. It also helps that every weapon I tried incapacitated enemies instead of killing them, an act that was discouraged in the original game to avoid causing a voidout (the atom bomb-like explosion caused by dead bodies); a sniper rifle used tranquilizer rounds, for example. I look forward to conflicts rather than avoiding them as I did in the original. The boss battles I tackled were visual spectacles and entertaining gunfights against well-designed adversaries. For those who wanted more exciting action in Death Stranding, this sequel seemingly Perhaps best of all, Kojima’s trademark weirdness is everywhere. Whether it's surprising and hilarious interactions with Dollman, the funny ways you can take out enemies, and the myriad of cheeky and overt Metal Gear references, Death Stranding 2 doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even Higgs, whom I thought was the worst and most insufferable character in Death Stranding, is more entertaining now since Kojima just turned him into a cartoonish, guitar-playing cybernetic clown. I clocked 26 hours after four days of playing and was sad to put Death Stranding 2 down. Where I was hot and cold on its predecessor, I’m all in on the sequel, and I’m impressed with how closely Kojima Productions seems to have listened to feedback. Despite offering me a substantial preview, I missed plenty of content, including optional side missions, cool weapons/gadgets, and, potentially, significant plot beats. Players can miss an action-packed and seemingly vital cinematic if they choose not to trek through a particular area during a delivery. After seeing it myself, I spoke to other journalists who missed it because they chose to bypass the area where the scene occurs. Knowing this, I wonder if there were other moments I unknowingly missed due to how I approached exploration. That’s a bold choice, but off-the-wall ideas like that make Kojima games so fascinating, and Death Stranding 2 seems chock-full of secrets big and small. Kojima focused on telling a weird story and creating a bizarre experience around it in Death Stranding, which was only somewhat enjoyable. However, the sequel seems more purposeful in delivering a well-crafted and consistently entertaining experience. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has the makings of a perfect sequel: one that iterates and improves upon its predecessor in every way. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches on June 26 for PlayStation 5.

May 8

Revenge of the Savage Planet Review - Vengeance Worth Pursuing Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Raccoon Logic Studios Developer: Raccoon Logic Studios Release: May 8, 2025 Rating: Teen In 2020, Journey to the Savage Planet offered enticing exploration and inventive combat as you scoured an unaccommodating alien planet for resources and catalogued its inhabitants. Five years later, Revenge of the Savage Planet delivers the same basic concept, but thanks to a new third-person perspective, multiple planets, and a more thoughtful world design, it offers players a more consistent and enjoyable experience. Stepping into the spacesuit of a hapless corporate employee tasked with exploring planets in remote corners of the galaxy, you immediately get to work scanning every object, creature, and plant. I loved activating my visor and seeing a ton of previously unscanned items around me. As you explore, you encounter several different beasts, ranging from cute ball-like raccoons to flaming birds that will not hesitate to spew lava at you. Armed with an upgradeable pistol, I always felt well-equipped to handle the encounters I was thrust into. Add various peripheral weapons like bait that distracts enemies or causes them to attack each other, a hose that can spray everything from lava to conductive goo, and a magnetic fork that lets you turn metal objects into projectiles, and Revenge of the Savage Planet offers engaging combat encounters throughout. You'll need all these weapons at your disposal for the times when you stumble upon nests or find yourself the subject of an ambush. On multiple occasions, I struggled to keep up with the chaos onscreen, as wasps fired projectiles, exploding monsters sprinted towards me, and tongue-lashing beasts tried to rope me in for dinner. In those instances, I relied heavily not only on those secondary weapons, but on my character's mobility, which is also upgradeable. However, some enemy types, like small bees that teleport around and poke at you from multiple directions, were more annoying than challenging. Upgrades are well-paced as you explore and gather resources, find blueprints, and complete quests to unlock new upgrade branches. While defeated creatures drop resources, few feelings surpassed the joy of watching a resource cache you found pop like a piñata. Those resources are essential for upgrading every part of your weapon and suit. Early on, I loved adding more oomph to my pistol, gaining a double-jump, or removing fall damage, while later upgrades fundamentally changed exploration through abilities like attaching a grapple beam anywhere, including mid-air. Though I loved adding that grappling ability to my arsenal late in the game, I was glad it came later, as it flips my favorite part of the game, exploration, on its head. Revenge of the Savage Planet gives you multiple planets, each with distinct biomes and myriad secrets to uncover, either alone or with a friend, throughout its 12-plus hour campaign. Thanks to this entry's shift from the first-person gameplay of its predecessor to third-person gameplay, jumping from cliffside to floating platform is much more intuitive and reliable. From the lush rainforest environment of the starter planet to the icy peaks, sandy dunes, and volcanic craters of subsequent worlds, I relished finding every secret I could and scanning every creature to add them to my catalog. Revenge of the Savage Planet succeeds where many exploration-based open-world games fall short: It offers compelling discoveries nearly everywhere you go. Because of this, I often veered off the golden path to see what was nestled on the cliffside above my objective. Its Metroid-like world design dangles enticing secrets over your head, only to make you realize you don't have the appropriate gear to reach it. I lost count of the number of times I excitedly returned to a previous planet with my new upgrade to finally access an area I learned about hours prior. Though it falls more into the background than the gameplay elements, Revenge of the Savage Planet offers mostly enjoyable satire of corporations and the act of working for one, including a customizable habitat that you can use proprietary corporate currency to decorate. Though I was always more compelled by the checklist nature of my quest log than I was by the narrative's core mystery, I was glad to see the story through. Developer Raccoon Logic lays the humor on thick, particularly in the habitat, where you can watch satirical commercials. The jokes didn't always land for me, but a few elicited more than a chuckle. Revenge of the Savage Planet is an upgrade over its predecessor in nearly every way. Consistently rewarding exploration pushed me to poke around every corner of the worlds I visited, and often-fun combat encounters kept the experience fresh and engaging. The first game was a fun one-off experience, but its sequel is a far more complete and rewarding package that left me hungry for more savage planets to explore. Score: 8.5 About Game Informer's review system

May 6

There’s No Hollow Knight: Silksong Release Date, but It’ll Be Playable in Fall While we don’t know the release date for the Hollow Knight follow-up Hollow Knight: Silksong yet, we do know it will be playable starting in September 2025. Team Cherry’s upcoming title will be a part of the ACMI Game Worlds museum exhibit that starts on September 18, 2025, then ends on February 8, 2026. Tickets to attend will go on sale in July 2025, but the waitlist is available now. [Thanks, IGN !] It is currently unknown how extensive the Hollow Knight: Silksong demo will be at the ACMI exhibit. IGN’s reveal and the ACMI statement didn’t note if this will be a demo Team Cherry specifically constructed for the museum that will offer a slice of gameplay, or if this could be the full game on display. The last update on the game came during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct at the beginning of April 2025. Nintendo confirmed it would appear on both the Switch and Switch 2 in 2025 during the presentation. At the time, only a brief clip of gameplay appeared. Here’s the trailer for the Game Worlds exhibition. While it confirms Neopets, The Sims, and World of Warcraft will be present, Hollow Knight: Silksong didn’t appear in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsE8wTSEhEY&t=3s ACMI often celebrates games and gaming. For example, one of its major events at the end of 2024 was an Women & Non-Binary Gamer Club End of Year Meetup. That offered attendees an opportunity to play Drawful 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe . There’s also a free Big Ant Studios Games Lab that is available every day . In June 2025, Assassin’s Creed Rogue and As Dusk Falls game composer Forest Swords will appear for a “Crafting the Score” presentation. Hollow Knight: Silksong will come to the Switch, Switch 2 , PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X , and Windows PC in 2025, and it will be featured at the ACMI in Melbourne, Australia, between September 18, 2025 and February 8, 2026. The post There’s No Hollow Knight: Silksong Release Date, but It’ll Be Playable in Fall appeared first on Siliconera .

May 1

Andor Season 2 Episode 5 Recap and Spoiler Review — Why Does Saw Gerrera Kill [Spoiler]? Andor Season 2, Episode 5 is an intriguing installment that proves the Empire is playing galactic chess, not checkers. Imperial forces quietly plant seeds across Ghorman, allowing the rebels to believe they’re gaining the upper hand, while the Empire tightens its grip on their community. Also, the guest appearance of Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

Apr 30

Watch the Final Fantasy III Music Special Live Stream In honor of the 35th anniversary of Final Fantasy III , Square Enix kicked off a Music Special Live Stream featuring the game’s soundtrack. It is available worldwide on YouTube and is constantly streaming as of April 27, 2025. It is expected to remain online until 5am PT/8am ET on April 30, 2025. As music plays, imagery from the games and series appears. For example, at 12:48pm ET, the “FF Medley” from Bra Bra Final Fantasy: Brass de Bravo appeared. That was an album with brass band covers of tracks from the series. When it played, the song’s name appeared alongside the cover art from that entry. That was followed by the FFIII “Behemoth’s Stream” and “The Ancient Gate” tracks from the Chocobo Racing Original Soundtrack. Again, the cover art appeared alongside it. However, during earlier tracks, some footage from the game appeared. Here’s the embed of the Final Fantasy III Music Special Live Stream. https://www.youtube.com/live/zOrPdsKJO2M In case you miss the stream, the Square Enix Music Channel on YouTube features a number of additional music videos featuring songs from the Final Fantasy III soundtrack. Here’s a list of some of them: “ Battle 1 Fanfare ” “ Battle 2 ” “ The Boundless Ocean ” “ Castle of Hain ” “ Chocobos ” “ Crystal Cave ” “ The Crystal Tower ” “ The Dark Crystals ” “ Elia, the Maiden of Water ” “ Eternal Wind ” “ Forbidden Land ” “ Go Above the Clouds ” “ Jinn, the Fire ” “ The Invincible ” “ Let Me Know the Truth ” “ Living Forest ” “ Lute of Noah ” “ My Home Town ” “ Opening Theme ” “ The Prelude ” “ The Requiem ” “ Shrine of Nept ” “ Swift Twist ” “ This is the Last Battle ” “ Town of Water ” “ Vegies of Geasal ” “ The Way to the Top ” Most recently, Final Fantasy III appeared as part of the Pixel Remaster series on the Switch, PS4, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices. The game first appeared on the Famicom in Japan, and a 3D remake appeared on the DS, PSP, PC, and mobile devices worldwdie. The post Watch the Final Fantasy III Music Special Live Stream appeared first on Siliconera .

Apr 28

The ForestAs the lone survivor of a passenger jet crash, you find yourself in a mysterious forest battling to stay alive against a society of cannibalistic mutants. Build, explore, survive in this terrifying first person survival horror simulator.